


this road is all you ever have

by surestsmile



Category: Kamen Rider W (Double)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 00:26:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4725881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/surestsmile/pseuds/surestsmile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Phillip proposes the saddest party in the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this road is all you ever have

**Author's Note:**

> Post-46.
> 
> Originally written 21 August 2011.

News of the mysterious and massive devastation of the Sonozaki estate dominated the headlines for days. The entire police department was up in arms over the loss of their biggest benefactor, and the higher-ups had declared an immediate and thorough investigation on what they deemed was a terrorist attack. Terui Ryuu thought that it was unlikely that they would ever find anything conclusive, although news of an underground excavation site trickled through the rumour grapevine. What was most aggravating about the entire situation was that he was stuck in the office, doing paperwork for the investigation.

Simply because as far as Ryuu was concerned, the only news worth following was the tracking Phillip's emotional stability meter over the same number of days. Thankfully, Akiko was more than helpful in that department, sending hourly mails to his phone about the most mundane of things Phillip's doing.

_8.30 Phillip's still researching from last night._

_9.30 Shoutarou's making sure he eats breakfast. Blueberry pancakes and milk. Delicious._

_9.31 He's still pants at making coffee though._

_10.30 Phillip's researching again. I don't know if it's the same subject. I think he's speaking in Russian?_

_11.30 Shoutarou went out for a job. I'm thinking of getting Phillip Fuuto ramen for lunch, what do you think?_

The last one Ryuu's sure was less about Phillip and more about Akiko trying to get him to get out of work for lunch. It's not that he's a workaholic; if he were, he'd be out in the field, combing through ruins in search of something, he didn't know what. Just something for Phillip. But he's in office, safe and keeping his ribs bound tight and anyway, it's more important to screen anything that came through, just in case.

But Fuuto ramen was really unhealthy. It took him two minutes of looking at his growing stack of vetting materials before mailing back, "Don't. I'll come by to make something to eat."

It still made him feel a little out of sorts, the way Akiko replied almost immediately with a dozen smilies and a cheerful _Love you!_. He's not sure if it's because he still couldn't quite believe that he's in a relationship, eighteen months too late for his family's gentle teasing, but in the end he still smiled at her mail, heart feeling hesitantly full and happy.

\---------------------------------

Akiko managed to drag Phillip out of the garage by the time he turned up with groceries, even though the other boy was still buried deep in his book, muttering underneath his breath. It's something Ryuu's used to seeing, even if he was beginning to faintly dislike it. He didn't have anything against Phillip using the library; Ryuu himself had approached the other boy countless times for insight into problematic cases, but it was a different matter if Phillip was using it to hide from the world.

Which seemed to be happening more frequently now, going by Akiko's mails, anyway.

Still, Phillip emerged by the time Ryuu set down utensils and plates on the inappropriately tiny table, lured by the smell of stirfry, and blinked owlishly in the midday light. He smiled faintly at the food and greeted, as always, with the use of Ryuu's full name. Ryuu took this time to look him over. There were still the faint marks of exhaustion on his face, light grey smudges under his eyes and tiny little creases at the edges. Whether it's because Phillip had wilfully ignored sleep again or because of the Sonozakis, Ryuu did not know, although he frowned at Hidari's seeming negligence.

"How's the food?" he asked instead, even though he ate his own share and knew perfectly well how it tasted. Akiko chirped, "Delicious~", while Phillip dutifully spooned every single bit into his mouth, nearly mechanical if not for the fact that his eyes sometimes widened in surprise, back and shoulders straightening for a moment as if he wanted to comment on the taste, the texture, as he always did.

Ryuu wondered why he was holding himself back this time.

"Terui Ryuu," Phillip said at last. "I would like to have a farewell party." Akiko's surprised cry at that was expected, but Ryuu forced himself to stay calm and wait for Phillip's explanation. It was accompanied by a slight grimace on Phillip's face, but the other boy didn't seem to be aware of it. "The library says that farewell parties are customary when one is expecting to be gone for a extended period of time."

Ryuu reached out and placed a hand on Akiko's arm before she could start her panicked questioning. "Are you planning to go somewhere?" Ryuu asked carefully, even though inwardly he wanted to react just like Akiko would, to reach out and grab Phillip, shake him and demand what he meant exactly by "expecting to be gone for an extended period of time."

Phillip's startled look at that question said everything though. "It's...it's just a contingency plan. In case," he finally answered, and if this hadn't been so serious Ryuu would have marvelled at how Phillip really did not know what it was to lie.

"In case?" he pressed gently, but he could see that Phillip was already shutting them out, face shuttling closed in a stubborn frown. Akiko wrung her hands and muttered something about asking Shoutarou what Phillip was really saying. Ryuu ignored it; Hidari may have been Phillip's partner for a year, but the detective didn't really seem to know anything truly important about his partner. He certainly wouldn't know what Phillip meant by leaving.

"Okay, Phillip," he finally said. "What kind of party do you want to throw?"

Akiko hit him. He shot her a surprised look, and she immediately started to rail. "What are you talking about, Ryuu? Phillip's not going anywhere!"

"It's just a contingency plan, right?" Ryuu said, looking directly at Phillip. The other boy was looking back, mouth slightly opened in surprise. "We could just mask it as a farewell party because Phillip's been accepted to an overseas school. So if Phillip...doesn't have to leave, then it'll just blow over."

"But I-"

"I want this, Aki-chan," Phillip said quietly. He looked very young suddenly, fingers curled white around his book and shoulders hunched forward. "Please."

"Chief," Ryuu said. Akiko looked at the both of them, and threw her hands up in surrender. "I can't win against the both of you," she sighed. Ryuu gave her a grateful smile, and on an uncharacteristic impulse, he called the precinct and requested for the rest of the day off. The officer on the other end simply wished him a nice day, and he grabbed his keys off the table.

"Coming?"

"Thank you," Phillip said. His face was bowed slightly, and when Akiko grabbed his arm, he smiled, small and brilliant and Ryuu reached out too.

"Let's have a party."


End file.
